Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 612

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 611. Evasion and Proposal
“How dare you speak such insolence as a mere spy—!”
The man who had taken a slap across his face glared with both eyes wide.
Mrs. Danit had seized upon the word “spy” as a clue—the Royalists had clearly discovered the inferior weapons. Without that, there would be no justification to threaten Princess Kaila’s safety.
As the man smirked and looked down at her, Mrs. Danit paid him no mind and struck his other cheek.
Crack!
“How dare you spout such nonsense. A spy? Who has kept your wretched lives hanging by a thread all this time? And you dare show me this kind of disrespect?”
“Are you insane?”
One blow could be overlooked, but two was intolerable. The man lunged to grab Mrs. Danit by her hair.
“Now, now. Let’s talk this through, shall we?”
Nakina firmly seized the man’s arm, restraining him.
This was precisely why Mrs. Danit could speak so boldly. Dozens could swarm her and still fail to overcome a single Mage, and now the Chief of the Magic Department stood beside her. As the mistress of the Marquis Hollin household and the one overseeing the Burgos weapons operation, she was confident in her protection.
Heil loosely held his cigarette between his teeth, glancing around in bewilderment at the unfolding scene.
“Talk it through? You want to talk after I’ve been hit twice?”
“What’s past is past. Isn’t what matters what comes next? Princess Kaila—she’s here, correct?”
“What the hell. And who are you to speak so casually to me from the start?”
Thwack!
The man roughly shook off Nakina’s hand and raised his opposite fist.
Nakina then placed two fingers ‘gently’ against his forehead—
“Want a taste of my magic?”
Zing! Zing! Boom!
She released her magical power ‘gently’ as well.
“Argh!”
The burly man lost consciousness and crumpled, but for Nakina, it was merely a warning. She raised one eyebrow as if nothing had happened.
The soldiers witnessing this gripped their weapons tightly and formed a tighter perimeter around the three, ready to charge at any moment.
“I sensed commotion and wondered what was happening—it seems the lady has returned.”
Then, Royalist officials emerged from within the residence. Could Princess Kaila be with them? Mrs. Danit’s gaze moved swiftly, but her daughter was nowhere to be seen.
“Shall we hear the full details of what’s transpired here?”
“What’s there to hear? You know well enough already.”
The Royalist official spoke thus and hurled a sword before Mrs. Danit. It was an inferior weapon supplied by the Hollin family.
The lady slowly raised her cold gaze, and the Royalist met her stare. Among them, the elderly officer who served as the central figure turned to Nakina and Heil.
“Mages, step back from this matter. You serve the Emperor, not the Hollin family, do you not? This is the problem of a single noble who deceived Burgos. Should you become entangled, we would have no choice but to accept this as the Emperor’s will. Is it truly the Emperor’s intention to drive the people of Burgos, who defend the legitimacy of Lankvis, into ruin?”
It was the Emperor’s will. And the Royalists knew this as well. Ten years had passed since the Hollin family and Burgos began their weapons trade. That such a situation had emerged alongside the war meant the Imperial Palace’s involvement was inevitable.
But to speak this aloud and declare it openly was an entirely different matter.
‘The Royalists have already concluded they cannot oppose Bariel. So they intend to seize and strike down the Hollin family, which has become problematic. Since the Hollin family is the foremost ducal house of Bariel, capturing them would provide an opportunity to negotiate with the Imperial Palace.’
Heil ground his cigarette between his front teeth and turned to Nakina. She seemed to harbor the same thoughts.
‘Just as the Hollin family seeks to fulfill their ambitions using the Royalists as a stepping stone, the Royalists also drag the Hollin family down as leverage to negotiate with the Imperial Palace? Is that correct?’
‘The process remains unclear, but the objective is sound.’
‘What should we do, Chief?’
Based on the Royalist official’s remarks, if they simply handed over the Countess here, it might provide room for negotiation regarding the occupation of Kalamatt—a chance to reduce unnecessary bloodshed and open the gates willingly, easing the war’s toll on both sides.
I want to confirm this directly, but the moment I ask, Mrs. Danit’s safety becomes precarious.
“Wait.”
While Heil and Nakina pondered and racked their brains, Mrs. Danit sensed the shift in atmosphere and opened and closed her fan. That gesture seemed to sever the collusion between the Royalists and the Mages.
“You’ve been calling me a spy this whole time—it’s quite offensive. Let’s hear what exactly is so special about these weapons that’s causing all this fuss.”
“What?”
“Speak up with that clever mouth of yours.”
The Countess’s evasive attitude was truly absurd. Wasn’t Princess Kaila already captured? There was no telling how her confession had been obtained. Heil and Nakina wondered if this would work, but one official’s eyes narrowed subtly.
“Mrs. Danit. Your shamelessness is truly detestable. How can you say such things after seeing these inferior, defective weapons?”
“Inferior? Defective? Ha! That’s ridiculous. Have you forgotten? It was your Royalist subordinates who transported the weapons from Bariel here. We rescued those wretches from going to the battlefield empty-handed, and this is the thanks we get?”
Swish.
Danit picked up a sword scattered on the ground.
“If there’s a problem with the goods, shouldn’t we first identify everyone involved and clearly establish the facts? I’ve done business with Burgos for ten years. Ten long years! But how long have those who transported the weapons been doing this?”
The Supply Officer, suddenly singled out, waved his hands frantically.
“N-no! That crazy woman is just running her mouth!”
“Doesn’t everyone know there are those within the military who divert supplies for personal gain? Whether large or small. During wartime like now, we’ve overlooked it to avoid damaging morale, but in fact, two years ago, those involved were punished. You must all remember, don’t you? The five corpses that hung from the Kalamat gate.”
On a small scale, soldiers would sell supplied goods to supplement their homes or barter with outsiders for what they needed. All soldiers with families did this.
Then once, someone had diverted goods box by box and profited from it, and just as Mrs. Danit said, those discovered at the time had been executed under military law.
“Who can say that Hollin’s weapons weren’t diverted elsewhere, only to be replaced with inferior goods from who knows where? Can you truly be so certain?”
As Mrs. Danit pressed forward aggressively, the Royalist nobles burst into hollow laughter, telling her not to speak such nonsense.
“Enough of this act, Madam. You have no shame. If the Supply Officer had acted alone, wouldn’t you have noticed? Have you forgotten that it was you and your daughter who first arrived at Kalamat and inspected the quality?”
“The weapons we confirmed at that time were certainly without defect. That’s precisely why I’m saying this. Chief of the Magic Department, please examine this.”
Danit handed the sword she’d picked up from the ground to Heil and gestured for him to try. Heil hesitated for a moment, then struck the sword against the wall.
Clang! Ring!
Though he struck with great force several times, the sword did not break easily. It was a superior weapon mixed in tiny quantities among the inferior ones. Danit lifted her head proudly.
“The weapons my daughter and I confirmed were certainly of superior quality.”
“Stop spouting nonsense. It seems you managed to find another proper sword in all this. No matter how much you struggle, you won’t escape. You can’t cover the sky with your palm.”
“That’s right! And if you truly weren’t a spy, why did Kaila run away?”
“Since you’ve confessed, you too should quickly kneel before the King of Burgos and apologize. Then, remembering old ties, we’ll spare your life.”
Though she couldn’t cover the sky with her palm, she could certainly blind their eyes. Danit opened her fan gracefully, letting the breeze flow as she swept her hair back. This was the crucial moment.
“…Confessed, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Then bring her before me and show me.”
A confession? Don’t make me laugh. Kaila was absolutely, absolutely not the type to confess. Danit pointed with her fan as if she’d caught them red-handed.
“I won’t believe it until I see Kaila confess with my own eyes. If no such thing happened, what exactly did she confess to? This is slander of the worst kind!”
If Kaila is brought before me, everything becomes easier. Not only can I confirm her safety, but rescue through the Mages is also possible. Of course, the Mages seem hesitant, but I’m confident I can persuade them. So bring my daughter before my eyes. Danit’s eyes gleamed as she glared at the Royalist officials.
They seemed to sense the Countess’s true intentions, as they began whispering to each other and exchanging opinions.
“Ahem. That’s not possible.”
“Why not? Didn’t you say she confessed? If you suspect me—no, the Hollin Family—without evidence, this is an insult to the Imperial Palace that granted us business rights. Let me remind you once more. I’ve just returned from meeting the Emperor of the Great Empire of Bariel.”
As Danit spoke boldly, the Royalists’ expressions hardened.
The Mages, just as they’d said from the beginning, remained silent and observant. But if the situation develops in the direction that Burgos is fabricating slander to eliminate the Hollin Family? How would the Emperor interpret this?
“Quite the spectacle over a single sword, Countess.”
“When wronged, one must make noise. Otherwise, who would listen?”
“It seems some functional weapons were mixed in with the defective ones. However, we’ve already confirmed that a considerable number of weapons already distributed to soldiers here have problems. An investigation is underway inside the gates of Kalamata Fortress as well. According to the interim reports coming in, Mrs. Danit, we’ve already exceeded a thousand blades.”
Heil and Nakina exchanged glances at the Countess. Observing how the situation was unfolding, the ‘game’ that Danit was orchestrating appeared quite useful. In other words, that claim about the Royalists of Burgos deliberately fabricating accusations.
Whether it was true or false didn’t matter. What mattered was that it served a purpose.
‘What if we take both the Countess and the Royalist nobles with us? It seems Ian would find them quite… useful to pressure.’
‘I agree.’
It was also the only way to protect Mrs. Danit without resistance from the Royalists.
Just as the two were about to step forward, Mrs. Danit pointed her fan at the Royalist Official.
“Over a thousand blades, you say?”
“Yes. There’s no denying this.”
“I never intended to deny it. If the Hollin Family’s products are defective, it’s only right that we bear the consequences.”
What was this? What scheme was this now? As the Royalist Official’s brow furrowed, Mrs. Danit quickly added, her voice sharp.
“That is, if those weapons were actually supplied by the Hollin Family.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“The Hollin Family manufactures all weapons using our own proprietary techniques. If I inspect them personally, I can determine whether the problems arose during transport or from the Hollin Family itself.”
The Countess twirled her fan lightly as she issued her directive.
“I will conduct a full investigation. Retrieve all the weapons and bring them back. Then I will verify them and take responsibility—exactly as you Royalists wish.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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